Attachment – Movie Review
Director: Gabriel Dier Gislason
Writer: Gabriel Dier Gislason (Screenplay)
Cast
- David Dencik (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
- Ellie Kendrick (An Education)
- Sofie Gråbøl (The House That Jack Built)
- Josephine Park (Miss Viborg)
Plot: Maja, a Danish has-been actress, falls in love with Leah, a Jewish academic from London. Leah suffers a mysterious seizure, and Maja returns with her to London. There, she meets Leah’s mother, Chana, a woman who could hold dark secrets.
Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Attachment starts as Leah (Kendrick) meets a Danish has-been actress Maja (Park). The pair start a romantic relationship until Leah gets injured. Leah returns to London with Maja to be close to her mother Chana (Gråbøl) for her recovery.
Back at Leah’s house, Maja starts to see the tension rise between her and Chana. This sees her learning more about the connection between Leah and her mother, leading to a much darker secret.
Verdict on Attachment
Characters
Maja is a former actress living a quiet life in Denmark. She meets Leah and strikes up a relationship with her, seeing a positive future. However, once she joins Leah back at her home, she learns of a family secret that is much more dangerous. Maja gets to show us what a character would be like when they first fall in love and learn the bigger story about them.
Leah is a student that is seeing the world for the first time. She meets Maja in a bookstore, leading to the pair falling in love. After she is injured they return to her mother’s home where they learn of a bigger secret in her family.
Chana is Leah’s mother, she is always around to make sure Leah gets healthy again. Her actions lead to an uncomfortable first meeting between her and Maja. She knows more than she lets on, pushing away people that might be offering answers.
Performances
Josephine Park is in the leading role, as the character is thrown into a new environment with her new relationship. She handles this performance very well, giving us the outsider feel, trying to fit in.
Ellie Kendrick is great as the new lover that has strange moments in her life. She handles the uncomfortable moments that bring out the horror in the movie. Sofie Gråbøl completes the main cast, as we see her bringing her character to life.
Story
The story follows a new young couple that moves back to be closer to one of their mothers after an injury. It takes an uncomfortable twist when the daughter starts acting differently leading to a bigger family secret.
This is a story that shows that you never know who you might be getting involved with early on in dating. It sees the new girlfriend learning fast about a secret as she learns more about a religion that she never followed before. The story brings us plenty of mystery as well as learning how to understand a new religion. Using the religious themes in the movie helps create an uneasy environment throughout the film.
Where to Watch: Attachment is available on Shudder.
Final Thoughts – Attachment is an uneasy horror movie that dives into religious beliefs.
